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Aaron Dun
Aaron is the current lord of House Dun, and the oldest brother of Seamus. Being nearsighted and not all that physically imposing, he is often underestimated by his noble peers and frequently mistaken for a secretary rather than the lord- his brother Theodore being assumed to be the actual ruler. However he is quite politically canny, having managed to secure an alliance with the most powerful minor house in Bern (House Bay) within a few months of taking over from his father. Backstory Aaron was the firstborn son of Cohen Dun and Miriam Dun. His live began when his father was only seventeen- Cohen having been married very early to secure a lineage for the house, since Cohen's father was in poor health. Though Cohen was a formidable warrior and hunter, Aaron was only a passable hunter and not particularly athletic. However, what the young man lacked in physical ability, he more than made up for in intellect. Even as a child Aaron proved very sharp, creative, and able to think well on his feet. Cohen had high hopes for the boy's future, knowing he would make an excellent successor for House Dun. However, that succession ended up coming far sooner than Cohen had imagined. When Aaron was only twenty, pirates attacked Jennet, ransacking the town and murdering Cohen. This left Aaron with the mammoth task of trying to take over from his father while simultaneously rebuilding the city, defending against further incursions from the pirates, and grieving his sudden loss. Aaron rose to the challenge admirably, powering through the grief of his father's death and contacting all of the coastal lords of the region in order to warn them of the pirates and seek the help of two in particular- House Bay and House Tobiano. Though the lord of Tobiano was evasive, saying he would send his personal privateers after the pirates but offering no other assistance, the response was far more encouraging from the Lord of Bay- a man named Ian. Sympathetic to Aaron's loss and fearful of what the pirates could do to his house's ocean trade, Ian agreed to meet with Aaron to discuss plans for bolstering their mutual defense. When finally the two lords met in person, at first Aaron found himself feeling somewhat inadequate next to Ian. The older lord suggested measures that in retrospect seemed obvious, making Aaron briefly question his competency to be of any help. However he quickly shook this off and started suggesting ideas of his own, and ultimately he was able to work out a fully fledged alliance deal with Ian, offering his sister Eleanor as a wife for Ian's son Corrin to seal the deal. Aaron gradually matured into his place as Lord Dun, proving himself canny in spite of his youth. He would go on to lead his lands through the great famine that lasted from 1309 to 1312, something that tested his House and his leadership tremendously. A lack of arable land meant that House Dun had to import food from elsewhere, a costly endeavor. This was made harder by the fact that during the famine food was selling for such a premium that most people didn't have the money to waste on luxuries like furs. So House Dun was making far less money than usual, and the food they needed to survive was going for a much higher price. Their alliance with House Bay helped them somewhat, but they still needed to supplement themselves somehow. To combat this, Aaron temporarily lifted the house's usual ban on excessive deforestation, and began felling and selling lumber to make some extra money. This brought Aaron into conflict with the recently incorporated former Langean nobles, House Sable. Since lumber was Sable's primary industry and they were not included as extensively in Bern's irrigation system that kept it afloat during the drought years, House Dun was cutting in on their profit margin. This led to a great deal of tension between the two and no few arguments. Things got progressively more heated as the drought dragged, with Sable resentful of Dun's interference and Aaron staunchly refusing to let off because he had no other options. Eventually, the Stallions stepped in, supporting Dun by reminding Sable that as a former Langean house it needed to behave, or risk losing the lands it was apparently having so much trouble keeping intact to House Stallion. Sable reluctantly backed off, and eventually after the famine abated Aaron pulled House Dun back out of the lumber industry. However there would remain tensions between the two houses for some time to come. Things for the most part remained pretty good for House Dun after that, and Aaron was content to rule over his lands and raise his and Stephanie's children. In 1314 he received word from the Stallions that they were looking to hire a new bookkeeper. Aaron knew his little brother Seamus was intelligent, steady, and prodigal at math; perfect for the job. He put his little brother's name forward to be considered, and ultimately Seamus landed the position. Aaron still lives in Jennet with his wife, his brother Theodore, and his three children. He rules intelligently and fairly, protecting his people and doing his utmost to live up to the expectations his father always had for him. Appearances * A Rocky Start - Part 1 - The day after a massive pirate raid on House Dun's seat of power, Jennet, Aaron faces the monumental task of taking control of the house in the wake of his father's death, rebuilding the town, and addressing the still potent threat from the pirates. * A Rocky Start - Part 2 - Aaron receives answers to letters he sent to other Bernian coastal houses requesting aid. He then tells his family the news. * A Rocky Start - Part 3 - Aaron meets the lord of House Bay, Ian Bay, and the two of them discuss how they might collaborate on defensive measures against the pirates. They agree to form an alliance, with Aaron's sister Eleanor betrothed to Ian's son Corrin to seal the deal. * A Rocky Start - Part 4 - Aaron breaks the news to Eleanor that she is to marry the heir to House Bay, and reassures her that she will make an excellent Lady Bay. * To Challenge the Mountain - Aaron and his brothers go hunting to celebrate Theodore's official induction as House Dun's Master of the Hunt. However, it seems Theo has an unexpected twist on the festivities in store for everyone. * In the Night, the Bookkeeper Missed Dinner Again - Aaron cameos briefly, wishing his little brother luck when Seamus goes off to Destrier to interview as House Stallion's new bookkeeper. Personality While neither the most physically imposing Lord in Bern nor the most charismatic, Aaron is notable for his intelligence, creativity, and resilience. He is no less strong or competent than his noble peers, but his is a quiet sort of strength that shines brightest in times of adversity. Never one to let a situation overwhelm him, no matter how dire, he keeps a cool head and makes decisions as calmly and rationally as he can. This tenacity has earned him something of a reputation as an astute problem solver, and won him a decent degree of respect from the powers that be in Bern. When he does allow himself to relax and take a break from being Lord of Dun for a while, Aaron's quiet nature is directed away from critical thinking and towards being a calm, steady harbor for his family. Again, what he lacks in physical strength and an imposing physic he more than makes up for with his emotional strength and will. Having lost his mother at a young age and his father very traumatically, he takes his patriarchal role in the family very seriously and does everything in his power to see to the safety and peace of mind of his siblings, wife, and eventually his children. Compassionate, patient, and resilient, he more than earns his place among the nobles of Bern. Relationships Stephanie Dun Aaron and his wife Stephanie aren't especially close with one another on a purely emotional level, but they make excellent coworkers and their strengths compliment each other well when it comes to running the estate. Stephanie talks very little during actual diplomatic meetings, but she listens to everything, and will give Aaron her thoughts and suggestions once they are alone together. Aaron highly values the intelligent woman's opinion, and will usually take or at least seriously consider her advice when she offers it. Eleanor Bay Aaron has nothing but respect for his younger sister, and she in turn has a great deal of respect for him. Because of how busy he often was being trained as the heir, the two of them didn't have an especially close relationship as siblings, but still regard each other warmly as adults. Aaron would do anything for Eleanor, and he was tremendously relieved when the marriage he arranged for her worked out favorably for her. He knows Eleanor's personality very well- better often than she does- and is quite good at giving her things to do and places to be that will suit her talents or help her to cope with a bad situation. Theodore Dun Of all his siblings, Aaron is easily the closest to Theodore, and it's not hard to see why. Theo is extremely outgoing, personable, and even if his big bro is busy with other things Theodore will go out of his way to find time to spend with him anyway. More than once Theo has dragged Aaron away from work to force him to relax and spend time with his family. As such, Aaron values Theo greatly as both an emotional anchor and a close friend. Seamus Dun Aaron has never been quite as close to Seamus as he'd like to be, given the vast difference in their ages. The two of them spent more time together when Aaron was younger- the heir would frequently bring his brother gifts or books and help tutor him in math- but after Cohen's death Aaron suddenly had a lot less time to spend with his baby brother. He did the best he could, and the two of them do regard each other quite warmly, but Aaron often laments not being able to provide Seamus with more personal time than he does. Seamus is unaware of this, and looks up to his brother a great deal, not resenting him at all for his inability to be very attentive- something for which Aaron is grateful. Ian Bay Ian offered his help to Aaron after the pirate raid on Jennet, and somewhat to the young lord's surprise, Ian also offered his sincere sympathies for Cohen's death. This combination of wisdom, pragmatism, and kindness earned Ian a tremendous amount of respect from Aaron, and in many ways the young lord considers the Bay lord to be exactly the kind of nobleman he'd like to be. Though at first a little overwhelmed and intimidated by Ian's experience and breadth of knowledge, Aaron held his own with the older lord and managed to impress him enough that Ian agreed to form an alliance between their houses. With the union cemented by the marriage of Eleanor and Ian's son Cohen, the two lords often find themselves in each other's company on family visits as well as business, and as Aaron matured into his position they came to have a strong mutual respect and liking for one another.Category:Medieval characters Category:Non-game characters Category:Bernians Category:Minor Nobles